Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R7 M265

AMD

Radeon HD 8550D

2012Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R7 M265

2014Boost: 925 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R7 M265 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R7 M265 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R7 M265: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Radeon HD 8550D

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $80 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
  • Delivers 163.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 4.3 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
  • Draws 130W instead of 150W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R7 M265 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R7 M265

2014

Why buy it

  • 0.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 160% HIGHER MSRP
    $130 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.3 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($130 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 15.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 130W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R7 M265 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 8550D instead at 567 vs 560, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 8550D is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8550D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $80 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $130, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 163.3% (11.3 vs 4.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R7 M265 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R7 M265 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

AMD

Radeon HD 8550D

The Radeon HD 8550D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 567 points. Launch price was $249.

AMD

Radeon R7 M265

The Radeon R7 M265 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 13 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 925 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 560 points. Launch price was $149.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8550D scores 567 and the Radeon R7 M265 reaches 560 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8550D is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R7 M265 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 1,024 (Radeon R7 M265). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 1.894 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 M265). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 925 MHz.

FeatureRadeon HD 8550DRadeon R7 M265
G3D Mark Score
567+1%
560
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1024
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.761 TFLOPS
1.894 TFLOPS+8%
Boost Clock
1000 MHz+8%
925 MHz
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
64
64
L1 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 8550DRadeon R7 M265
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8550D has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M265 carries 4 GB. Radeon R7 M265 gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550D and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 M265.

FeatureRadeon HD 8550DRadeon R7 M265
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
4 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8550D draws 130W versus the Radeon R7 M265's 150W — a 14.3% difference. The Radeon HD 8550D is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M265). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

FeatureRadeon HD 8550DRadeon R7 M265
TDP
130W-13%
150W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Mobile
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
4.4+19%
3.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8550D came in at $50, while the Radeon R7 M265 launched at $130. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8550D was 61.5% cheaper ($80 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.3 (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 4.3 (Radeon R7 M265) — the Radeon HD 8550D offers 162.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 M265 (2014 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon HD 8550DRadeon R7 M265
MSRP
$50-62%
$130
Performance per Dollar
11.3+163%
4.3
Codename
Pitcairn
Pitcairn
Release
March 5 2012
February 13 2014
Ranking
#503
#489

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